Kingdom Hearts III
by Darth Syric
Summary: The direct sequal and prequal to Kingdom Hearts II. Deals with events before KH I and after KHII. Xehanort's tragic past, the Keyblade Wars, and the continuation of Sora's epic quest. New Characters, new worlds, and new adventures. Enjoy! Please R&R!
1. Act 1 Prologue

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS

Act 1- In The Beginning

Prologue

In the beginning, there was one world, and in the center of this world was a radiant and encompassing light. The light reached every corner of the world, basking its citizens with its glow. The guardians of this light were the keyblade masters, who protected the light with their lives from generation to generation...

200 years after the world of light was created:

"How can I be late?!" he said to himself. Lucian paced across the field in a slight jog, furious at himself for being tardy, today of all days!

He was rushing toward the temple at a faster speed, his keyblade clanking beside him. There, he finally saw it, the training temple was ahead. Though most keyblade masters preferred to spend the majority of their time in the castle on the other side of this large town, the children who had been discovered as potentials and passed the Test could be found here.

Everyone basically knew of the keybalde masters and understood why they existed. But, other than that, everything was unknown about them except by them. The reason for this was that the keyblade masters, though amiable and usually social, tended to be secretive when it came to their internal affairs. They kept all secrets about their order, literally, under lock and key.

"Harva will never let me live this down." Lucian panted as he reached the outer gates, breathing hard from all his running. He pointed his keyblade at the locked gate in front of the temple, and a beam shot forth from his weapon, automatically unlocking the gate. He stared at the lavish mansion that housed the temple. Ironic, he thought, that morals such as humility and generosity were being taught in such decadent surroundings. The mansion had been mysteriously discovered one day as being abandoned for a few years, but it was in a quite, secluded area, making it easy for future keyblade masters to learn the ways of the mysterious weapons they wielded.

Inside, past keyblade masters had found many valuable uses for this old house. There was a mysterious room made out of white walls and white furniture, making it an excellent place to meditate, due to its calming effect. There was a library in which anyone in the mansion could read volumes on history and knowledge. But, above all its other resources, none proved to be more useful than the basement. The basement was made up of deserted corridors, but the keyblade masters installed technology within its confines, making it a safe, quiet place to perform the Test.

Lucian stepped inside the library, and placed his hand over the rich, brown mahogany table. As if using some invisible writing tool, he managed to draw the symbol of a crown, the symbol of the keyblade masters on the table. As soon as he finished, the table and floor vanished before his eyes. He followed the stairs down to the basement and walked through the corridors to a room which contained 5 flower shaped pods.

"There you are! Do you know how long I've been standing here?!" Harva said rather impatiently, tapping her foot in a blunt manner on the ground. "Well," she said "what happened this time? Did you do battle with mysterious shadows again, or was it the usual 'pushed the snooze button one to many times?'"

"Give me a break Harva! You know I'd be here, and I still say that mysterious shadows have been appearing around town from time to time." Lucian snapped as a rebuttal.

"Right, nevermind. I can yell at you later. Heh heh. But, as I was telling you yesterday, I've been getting strange readings from the subjects." Harva began. "For example," she stated as she headed towards the first pod and pointed at the small boy within it. "Subject Aaron. He's made good progress lately and seems to have started the dream sequence a little while ago. The same can be said for subject Alena. She's made excellent progress to. Unfortunately" Harva said, passing the pod containing the girl. "the same can not be said for this poor one. His name is Gideon, and though he has entered the Awakening dream cycle, he has not made that much progress."

"So?" Lucian stated "Do you think he will not make it?" Harva replied "Oh, I believe he will make it. I just don't know whether he will be able to hold up as a keyblade master afterwards."

Lucian put his hand on the boy's pod. "Hmmm, in my experience, the seed who struggles in the beginning of its life learns to become strong and grow into a bountiful plant. Is there anything else?"

"Actually, yes." Harva went on. "I think we may have found a chaser for the future, in case we ever need back up keyblades. His name is Ienzo. But that's not the reason why I wanted you here today. There is something strange about this one."

Lucian and Harva entered the next room, which contained only one pod, but was considerably larger than the rest. "We had to move this little guy because his energy was off the charts. He's already made much more progress than any other pupil I've seen. I think this one could become a great keyblade master!" Harva told Lucian with considerable joy.

"What's his name?" Lucian asked.

"His name" Harva said with a slight flourish "is Xehanort."


	2. Act 1 Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any material in this fanfic, be it Disney, Square-Enix, or otherwise

Act 1  
Chapter 1-Origins

"That was it?" Lucian snapped at Harva. "You dragged me down here just so I could hear you gloat about a potential?"

Lucian was as impatient and stubborn as he was talented with a blade. At 35, he had fairly long black hair and eyes the color of polished wood. He had a strange sense of judgment when it came to analyzing people and their intents.

Harva, as it was known, was just as stubborn as Lucian. Beneath her calm blue eyes lie a temper and verve for life that was as fiery as her long red hair. She was intelligent, and as a result, was constantly under the impression that she was always right.

"What?!" Harva gasped in disbelief "Are you saying that you don't see something special about this one?" Lucian took a moment to cool down and calmly replied "Well my dear Harva, I can't tell much about a person when they're asleep inside a giant crystal pod. It doesn't matter how fast one finishes the Test. The important thing is to FINISH the test."

"Hmph." Harva grunted as she crossed her arms. "Well, time will prove who is right!"

Lucian paused for a moment before asking another question "Who is the boy's father?" "We don't know." Harva replied "We found him wandering near the temple a few years ago disheveled and dying from thirst. He collapsed in a scout's arms and said only one word, which we assumed was his given name. He's had a rough few years, but things are starting to look up for him now. I've even heard that Donovan has volunteered to pass his keyblade down to him!"

"Donovan?!" Lucian said with a look of surprise on his face. Donovan was one of the most respected and revered keyblade masters, despite the fact that he sometimes used "unorthodox" methods. Many asked to be his pupil, but he refused to teach them all, because he deemed them all "inferior specimens." "What's with the sudden change of heart in old Donny?"

"Who knows. I think he finally wised up and realized that he won't be young forever, so he finally decided to pass his skills along."

Before they realized it, they were walking through the temple's entrance hall. In the middle of the hall were three golden models in glass cases. They each represented different structures. One was a model of the town that was located closest to the light, another resembled the large castle surrounded by nearby gardens, where keyblade masters mainly lived, and the last represented the mansion, including all the intricate details like the many branched out towers of the upper levels, which could be reached from glass doors in the back of the hall and past the courtyard.

"So," Harva continued "who will you choose to be your apprentice?" "Gideon." Lucian replied. "WHAT? WHY?" Harva almost yelled in astonishment. "He's barely made any progress at all!"

A small smile came across Lucian's face as he said in a slightly corrective manner. "Ah ah ah Harva. Lest we forget that when I was his age, I was in the same situation."


	3. Act 1 Chapter 2

Act 1

Chapter 2- Awakenings

Gideon:

Gideon awoke on a fairly cold surface. He stood up groggily and stared in bewilderment at his surroundings. He had no idea where he was, for all he could see was the stained glass platform that he was standing on, surrounded by nothing but pitch black.

He looked down at the platform he was standing on and stared at it intently, puzzling what it could mean. Gideon, like most 8 years, was somewhat curious, even though he didn't act on his curiosity since his bashfulness matched his curiosity. He could be brave when it counted, but was rather shy and slightly cowardly otherwise. He had short brown hair and piercing green eyes, a bit of a contrast to his personality.

The image that he saw was of three armored knights kneeling with their keyblades in front of them before a bright and powerful light.

"The path has been placed before you, but what form will you choose?" a mysterious voice whispered. "Wh-Who's there?!" Gideon said in a semi-panicked voice. "Don't be afraid, and don't run away from the light." the voice replied.

"Who are you?" Gideon said to nothing but thin air. Suddenly, three pedestals appeared around the platform. On each of these pedestals lay a weapon. They were a black and red shield, a green rod with a rounded blue top, and a sword with a gold hilt and blue handle.

"Before you lies a choice." the voice continued "You must choose the form you will use to achieve your destiny." "I...I don't understand!" Gideon cried. "Choose" the voice echoed. "Choose, Choose...choose."

Gideon had no idea what to do. "What does all this mean?" he thought to himself. He started toward the three stone pedestals. He picked them up one by one. The staff felt too awkward for him, so he clearly wasn't going to be a huge magic user. Maybe the sword he thought. No good either, it felt too heavy. This wasn't good; it meant he wasn't going to be a warrior. The last option was the shield. He picked it up, and felt a strange power surge through him. Even though it was still a strange feeling, he felt that it was the right weapon.

"So, you have chosen." the voice said, breaking the silence. "Yeah," replied Gideon "but it's only a shield. What good can I do with it?"

"You do not understand." the voice said. "The weapon is not as important as the power it contains. The power you now have is the power of a guardian. You will be a protector of others, and a light in the darkest of moments. Use this power, and you will find your destiny."

Suddenly, shadowy hooded figures emerged from the ground and began darting for Gideon. "Wha-What are those things?!" Gideon cried.

"Your power is an extension of your heart. It is a beacon of hope to all who surround you. Use this power to protect others." The shadows closed in on Gideon. Their claws began reaching for him, but then a light shot forth from the shield. Gideon quickly began hitting the shadows, driving them back. One reached for Gideon to pull him into the darkness, but Gideon jumped and evaded its attack, and proceeded to hit him with the shield. Eventually, all the shadows faded away.

Gideon bent over, gasping for air. That had taken a lot out of him. He was surprised he wasn't dead right now. All of the sudden, the platform disappeared from underneath Gideon's feet, and he fell down into the darkness. Gideon began panicking and flailing his limbs around as he fell, sure that he wasn't going to survive the fall. Then, he stopped falling, and began gently floating down to another platform. This one however, was different.

The image on the platform was just as confusing as the last one. He saw keyblades. Thousands of keyblades standing up in what looked like a dessert. There were four paths pointing to the center of the area, and in the center, stood the same three knights. There was something else strange though. At one end of the paths, one more figure could be seen, but the image was blurry and hard to make out.

"There will be others, who wish to destroy you and crush the power you hold. You must not falter on your path to destiny."

As soon as the voice finished the sentence, another shadowy figure appeared. However, this one was different. He was wearing armor made out of a metal with a darker tint. And he was wielding some sort of weapon. It was a keyblade! The figure lunged for him, trying to strike Gideon with his keyblade.

"Your powers are weak. You are of no match for true power!" the figure said in a booming voice. A blast of dark energy shot from his right hand towards Gideon. He managed to deflect the blast, but the shock brought Gideon to his knees. He couldn't take much more. The figured walked up to him and prepared to make a killing blow. "You are useless. You are not even fit to exist." the armored being cackled. "No..."Gideon whimpered. It was truly over...

"DO NOT FALTER!!!"

Suddenly, as if possessed by a strange force, Gideon dodged the strike. When he stood up, he felt renewed by an unknown energy. And there was something different. He was holding two weapons! In his left, he held the Guardian Shield, but in the other, he was wielding the sword that he could not pick up earlier!

"While you choose the form of a guardian, you have the power of a warrior inside you."

Gideon, using this energy, charged toward the armored figure and swung at him with his blade. The impact his blade had on the figure caused him to fall to the ground.

"H-How?" the figure said weakly, and then disappeared.

Gideon felt relief for the first time in the test. He breathed a sigh of relief as everything around him turned black...

* * *

Xehanort:

Xehanort had never felt more bored in his life. "What is the point of such a meaningless test?" he thought to himself. He had picked up some strange sword and was using to fight some unknown beings, but nothing hard had come to face him yet.

Then, Xehanort realized that he was standing on another strange platform. However, he could not interpret the meanings of the symbols he saw. On one end, he saw a heart-shaped symbol etched out in black and red. On the other side, he saw a grey symbol that looked like an upside down and distorted heart.

"Do you know your purpose yet?" a mysterious man in a brown hood and robes said from the side with the black heart. "Do you know the levels of immortality you can achieve?" another hooded man in a black robe said from the other side.

"Wha? Who are you two? Another illusion?" Xehanort said, remaining fairly calm.

"He knows nothing. And one who knows nothing can understand nothing." the brown hooded figure said as he drew a mysterious black blade from his robes and a shadow began to float behind him. "Yes. You must know your place in this universe, and seek the power the universe offers you." continued the black hooded man as red blades of light seemed to emit from his palms.

Then, without warning, both figures began charging at him. Xehanort was taken aback by this move and was not sure what to do. Before he knew it, he was smacked to the ground by blows from both opponents.

"You were right." said the black hood "He knows nothing of the power his heart contains." "He knows nothing of the power of darkness" replied the brown hood. "You must learn the true ways of the universe," he continued "And suffering will be your master." the black hood said, finishing the sentence.

Lightning blasted forth from his hands, which threw Xehanort back to the center of the platform. Xehanort laid on the ground, in extreme pain. He could only see the image in the center of the platform, a keyblade he had never seen before. Could it have been...

"He is truly weak." the black hood said "He is not fit to live."

"RETURN TO DARKNESS!"

"RETURN TO POWER!"

Both began to charge at Xehanort again, and Xehanort, out of fear, close his eyes and swung his blade. He felt the blade make a direct hit, and heard a thump and a clang as his enemies fell to the ground. But, as he opened his eyes, he did not see his hooded opponents...

Instead, he saw an innocent man, lying dead on the ground, his keyblade in his cold and pale hand, blood slowly flowing out of the wound on his head and on to the glass platform.

Xehanort fell to his knees and began to cry. "Wh-WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"You are following your destiny." both figures said in unison...

And Xehanort continued to weep as the world faded out of sight around him.


	4. Act 1 Chapter 3

Act 1

Chapter 3- Duality

Gideon's vision was blurry as he began to wake up.

"Looks like he's coming to." said a male voice.

"Psh. About time." Said a young female.

Gideon awoke to see that he was surrounded by a group of at least 7 people, making him want to bury his face in his hands due to his timidity. Suddenly he felt himself being lifted out of the pod by someone. "Its okay little guy. You're among friends." a reassuring and kind voice said.

Gideon opened his eyes to see a black haired man smiling brightly at him. "My name is Lucian, and I will be your teacher in the arts of the keyblade."

"WHOA!" an eager voice exclaimed from behind Gideon. "Does this mean ALL of us get keyblades?!" Gideon turned around to a rather excited looking young boy around his age with dark brown hair and eyes that had now grown wider out of curiosity.

"Yes Aaron," a tall, emerald green haired man said in a booming voice "you will each get your own keyblade." "COOL!" Aaron practically screamed with joy. Aaron was obsessed with keyblades. He had read multiple books on the mysterious weapons and battle strategies involving them. "I thought you be excited about that." the green haired elder stated "That's why I decided to take you on as my apprentice."

"Wait a minute." Aaron cried. "You're Braeden! Oh my gosh. I can't believe I'm going to be trained by THE Braeden!!!!" Gideon and the young girl with bubble gum pink hair stared at each other with looks of clueless-ness and puzzlement on their faces.

"OH COME ON! You're telling me you've never heard of Braeden?!" Aaron screeched. Gideon and the girl both shook their heads in the standard negatory fashion. "Oh jeez. Well, I'll tell you about him." Aaron continued as he went into what almost seemed like a prepared speech. "Braeden is one of the top officials when it comes to keyblades. He trains with keyblades constantly, and tests all of the new chaser-made keyblades. Since his father was a chaser, he was a natural with a keyblade. He knows more techniques and strategies than just about ANY OTHER KEYLBADE MASTER! ISN'T THAT COOL?!"

"Psh." the pink hair girl scoffed "That's nice and all, but I bet you he's nowhere as good as Master Harva! They would assign nothing less than perfection to teach me, Alena! AND DON'T YOU FORGET THAT NAME!" Alena screeched as she bonked the two nearby boys on the head. Alena tended to be overly dramatic and hyper, due to the fact that she constantly yearned for attention.

"And where" a figure behind the group sighed "is MY apprentice?"

"Ah! Donovan!" Lucian replied "Good to see you've joined the party!"

"Can the chit chat Lucian, where is he?" Donovan retorted.

"I'm right here." said a small, yet incredibly cold voice. The group turned to see Xehanort standing in the entrance to the other pod room. "I guess everyone just forgot about me."

"That is no way to speak to your elders!" Donovan stated as he verbally reprimanded the boy. Xehanort stared up at his new master. An identifiable feature of Donovan's seniority in the keyblade maters' order was his hair, which was black, but with grey overtones, making his hair a slightly lighter color. Donovan was a mysterious person, but tended to focus on the strength one could achieve from using the keyblade in his philosophies. He believed that one must be worthy to wield such an elegant and dangerous weapon. This was one of the reasons why he had not chosen an apprentice until now.

"Do you think you are powerful?" Donovan asked flatly. "What?" Xehanort replied. "Do you think that you are powerful?!" Donovan questioned again with more force this time. "Uh, I suppose." Xehanort responded in a slightly confused manner.

"No!" Donovan shouted. "One does not think he is powerful! One KNOWS he is powerful! You will either learn this lesson or you will not succeed as a keyblade master! Understood?!" A now slightly frightened Xehanort merely nodded his response.

* * *

"What are those things?" Alena impatiently asked. Harva replied in a cool and sophisticated manner. "Why this is a Glider dear." she said, pointing to the silver vessel that resembled a bat. "We use it to travel to the various places in the world right from this hangar. We are going on a brief field trip to show you what awaits you in the future."

There were 3 Gliders available, though more were in existence. Each was able to hold at least 3 people. The metal that these ships were made from came from alloy deposits found new the area were the light was contained. This alloy had proved strong and highly durable, making it useful for building aircraft. While the wings were similar to a bat, the cockpit of the ship, which was merely a semi-spherical glass dome, was filled with the pilot's chair and the obvious two passenger chairs.

"Cool! Can I fly one?" Aaron joyfully begged, but his request was denied by a quick laugh from his mentor. "Not today, Aaron."

"Hey! Donovan!" Lucian shouted. "Don't you wanna share one with us?"

"No." Donovan flatly replied. "Xehanort and I will travel in this one. You head on out, and we'll be right behind you." "Alright Donny. Whatever you say." Donovan cringed. He HATED being called that.

* * *

"WOW! Look at the view!" Gideon couldn't help but cheer as they traveled through the sky.

Indeed, it was a sight to behold. Below them, they were passing a castle with pinkish, light purple, and golden towers and heading towards a desert, filled with oaisises.

"Where are we heading?" Alena asked her master. "To the beach?"

"No my dear, we are actually heading to that building there." Harva replied, pointing to a fortress like structure. There were four towers and walls, which made up the outside frame. All the pilots managed to land their craft in the designated docking bay. The group assembled together once they had exited their ships.

"Now everyone." Lucian began "We are about to enter a hallowed place where the chasers work. This is a place where only the people who know what they're doing can lead the way. So Braeden, they're all yours!"

"Gee, thanks Lucian." Braeden joked. He had to admit, it was funny. "Anyway, who here can tell me what a chaser is?" he asked the group of four children. And of course, Aaron was the only one who raised his hand while screaming "Ooh me! Pick me!"

"Alllright...lets go with Aaorn. What are chasers?"

"Chasers," Aaron began in his prepped speech tone again "are those who are designated at an early age, to construct 'fake keyblades' or keyblades without a keychain. They serve as back up weapons in times of need when a keyblade master is separated from his keyblade and can not reach it using his or her heart's power."

"Very good." Braeden said "Now, I wanted you to see these guys at work, because they too are a crucial part to our survival."

As the group descended from the top landing platforms, the young ones were met with awe at the sight they beheld. On the top floors of the armory, there rows and rows of chasers standing over their individuals slabs, which helped them make keyblades. Each of the rows were held by almost invisible platforms made of crystal. Each row was a about 3 yards on top of another, giving the chasers room to work, but while also keeping the platforms together in an organized manner

Braeden led the group to a platform separate from the others, on which there stood a keyboard. Braeden typed in some digits, and the group was transported to a slab where a young chaser named Ienzo was working. Even after the group arrived, Ienzo remained silent and appeared as if he didn't even acknowledge their existence.

"Now this here, is one our most recent prodigies. Ienzo, though he is around 5, is able to wield the tool of a chaser with ease, hard though it may seem."

The tool of a chaser appeared to be no more than metallic gloves. However, these were no ordinary gloves. They had multiple functions. They had the ability to levitate new alloy onto the slab and heat it until it was malleable. Then, the chaser could move the gloves with certain motions and mold the heated metal into a keyblade, all without even touching the alloy. The glove also had other functions, like an extendable and detaching blade, if needed for battle purposes, as well as a few hidden pockets to draw more metal alloy out of for keyblades, and an ability to focus the gloves heating ability into a flame.

Ienzo gracefully levitated the metal from the pocket on his glove onto the slab. He then proceeded to heat it, and with a few more fluid motions, produced a decent chainless-keyblade.

"Now, we will be moving on to the lower levels." Braeden said in a manner that could only be fit for a tour guide. Braeden punched in another code, and the group was transported to a lower level. Unfortunately, the group did not take to this room with much enthusiasm. It was simply a large black room, with no special additions or features.

"Doesn't seem like much, does it?" Braeden said with a smirk on his face. "Or at least it doesn't seem like much for now." Braeden entered another series of keys, and then it appeared as if the room came to life. The vast walls opened with endless rows, each with multiple keyblade slots. The floors too came alive as vast pillars rose from the ground and opened to reveal their keyblade caches as well. Thousands upon thousands of keyblades filled the room now, the number bordering upon millions.

"Now kids, here's a treat for you. You can each pick your own chaser keyblade to train with." Braeden happily noted.

"Train?" Gideon questioned

"Why yes." Braeden replied "Didn't you know that training starts tomorrow?"

Author's note: In case some are wondering why I wrote that Chasers constructed keyblades, the definition of a "chaser" from a dictionary is "One who forges and/or engraves metal, usually for blades." So, based upon this, I thought that Chasers constructed some form of keyblades (which of course now I believe are the keychain-less keyblades).


	5. Act 1 Chapter 4

Act 1

Chapter 4- Advanced

"Where are we going?" Gideon asked in his slightly nervous voice.

"Well," Lucian replied "now that you've chosen you chainless keyblades, its time to see your skill in handling one. This is just a simple training exercise."

Gideon looked down at his chainless keyblade. It was a rather strange one, for it the key part of the blade was located on both sides, in a mirror like effect. Its hilt was of a square, almost trapezoidal shape, with wing like curves at the end. It was a fairly big blade, with a broad hilt and handle, making it fairly heavy to carry. Yet, for some reason, Gideon felt compelled to pick up this particular one.

The group, having returned to the temple once again, entered the main hall and walked through the courtyard, to the large doors to the upper levels of the temple. Lucian unlocked the doors with his keyblade, and proceeded with everyone else inside the upper levels. Inside was an enormous white room, with ornate carvings and pictures decorating the ceiling and walls. Unique geometric shapes sparkled on the floor in white and an almost unnoticeable light blue color.

The keyblade masters promptly walked over to a strange round orb, which was black and filled with spheres of light, reminiscent to a starry sky on a summer's night. This time it was Harva's turn to act. She merely touched the orb and it set out a projection of its insides. The spheres began to move and merge together, forming 25 slots, 12 for the basements, and 13 for the main floors. Harva selected the top 13th floor, and immediately they were all teleported their.

The children looked around with looks of amazement on their faces. They were standing in another white room. However, this one was significantly smaller, and though some decorations lined the walls, the room still felt plain and simple. The one interesting feature of this room a giant crystal ball, which was being cradled by an elaborately furnished stand. Braeden was already standing at the crystal ball and activated it, giving him ability to monitor the activity on all of the floors.

"Hmmmm. That's a shame. It appears that most of the floors are occupied for battle simulations." Braeden said in a discouraged tone. "However," he continued with renewed hope. "There are two floors still available. The 11th and 12th floors. We'll just have to use both rooms with one group at a time."

"That works." Lucian said. "Gideon and I will use one, and Harva and Alena can use another. You and Donovan can use them when we are done."

"Then it's settled." Braeden stated. Braeden flipped a switch on the pedestal, and secret compartment on the wall opened up. Inside was a gigantic vault were what appeared to be cards. Braeden selected for decks from the vault, and walked further to take two more cards from deeper inside. "There," he continued as he came out from the vault. He proceeded to hand a deck to Lucian, Harva, and Donovan. Then, he handed the two other cards to black and red heads. "You know what to do, and be sure to share these with your apprentices, for obvious reasons."

* * *

Gideon:

Gideon was dumbfounded by what was going on. He and his master had left the crystal ball room via the orb again, to the 11th floor. There, Lucian held up the strange card that he had received from the green haired warrior. Immediately the door lit up.

"Well, everything's set up." Lucian said cheerfully. "Show me what ya got!" Lucian handed half of the deck to his apprentice, and they glowed for a couple seconds in his hands before returning to normal.

"M-master? What exactly are these cards for?" Gideon questioned in a slightly hesitant voice.

"Good question Gideon." His master replied. "You see, this castle was designed for training. Therefore, the main rules of the castle are based on cards. You fight with these cards, so they there are set limitations built in and you can not injure or kill your training partner."

Though Gideon didn't fully understand, he was grateful to learn that he couldn't be harmed by this exercise. The two stepped into the room, and the younger was amazed by what he saw. It was not a white room that met his eyes, but a large, somewhat barren field with a sunny blue sky above.

"Now" the 35 year old said as he got out his half of the deck. "Lets begin!" Lucian drew his keyblade, a silver steel blade with crown at the end for as the key part, with a square, golden hilt, and a silver keychain with a silver orb at the end. He darted towards Gideon at a quick pace. Gideon became paralyzed by fear and did not know what to do. He tried to raise his keyblade to block the blow, but was thrown back by the shock.

"Come on! Get up! You are capable of so much more!" Lucian cheered. Gideon managed to get back on his feet again as Lucian rushed towards him again. Lucian swung from above with his keyblade towards the child's head, and his apprentice managed to block it with out falling down, but he was quickly losing his balance. "Focus Gideon! Feel the power of your heart! It will give immeasurable strength!" Lucian stated as jumped backwards, preparing for another strike. "Listen to it and feel its power! Your heart is the strongest weapon you have!"

Gideon paused and closed his eyes. As soon as his master was finished speaking, he drowned out all the noises around him. He tried to focus, he tried to listen. He thought to himself "_It's no good..." _Suddenly, he heard something. It was his heart beating. He began listening to it, and he felt a strange energy begin to flow through him.

"Here I come!" Lucian yelled, breaking the silence. Using this new found energy, Gideon raised his keyblade to block the strike. Lucian landed the strike at the boy's upper torso, and Gideon held his own footing. As Lucian raised his blade, Gideon swiftly followed in for a quick blow. At the last second, Lucian deflected the swing with his own keyblade.

"Excellent job Gideon! You passed with flying colors!" Lucian shouted with joy. "You made wonderful progress! Over time, I will teach you to hone these skills and you will become an excellent keyblade master"

Gideon slightly blushed and smiled all the way back to the monitoring room.

* * *

Alena:

"Alright! Show me what you've got Alena!" Harva yelled as the exercise began.

Immediately, it had appeared as if Alena had disappeared. She was running rings around the arena. "_Her speed is incredible!"_ Harva thought to herself. Alena continued to run around the area, until she accidentally dropped her keyblade, and then proceeded to trip over it.

"_Drat! I hope Master Harva didn't see that!" _Alena stood up and retrieved her keyblade. Her chainless keyblade was also of a unique design. It was a medium length and size blade, with a cartoonish-like crown at the tip of the blade; its hilt was in the shape of a circle made from shape of rose petals and leaves.

As soon as Alena had recovered he keyblade, she saw that Harva had sneaked up behind her. "Don't let your guard down my dear!" she said as she swung her keyblade towards her apprentice's body. Harva's keyblade was very similar to Lucian's, except hers had a golden blade and keychain, with a white hilt.

Alena managed to gracefully dodge her master's strike. "Impressive." Harva said to herself. "Her high energy allows her to move at fast speed and dodge some attacks."

Harva chased after Alena and repeatedly tried to strike her. She aimed for the legs, but the blade struck the ground. She then aimed for the upper body, but her blade only met air. No matter how she tried, Alena managed to just barely dodge her attacks.

Harva attempted one more attack and threw her keyblade at Alena's body. Alena turned around to see the keyblade approaching at a fast rate towards her head, and raised her keyblade to stop it. The blade hit, the shock sent Alena flying into the air. She quickly regained her balance and landed gracefully.

"Good Alena! Good! You have a truly unique ability. Learn to master this ability, and you can become a powerful and stealthy warrior." Harva praised the young girl as the training exercise came to a close.

"Ha! I knew I would be good at this!" Alena replied with a slight pant in her voice.

* * *

Aaron:

"Whoa! Look at this place!" Aaron cheered with immeasurable glee. "I can't believe I'm in an ACTUAL training room!" He got out his keyblade with equal excitement. Aaron's keyblade was a sight to behold. A dark grey blade with a machine gear at its end to represent the key, and the hilt was of a simple square shape.

At the same time, Braeden drew his keyblade. His keyblade was made up of an angel-wing blade, with a smaller wing for the key. Its keychain was the symbol of a crown, with a smooth white chain.

Aaron managed to twirl his keyblade in a circle with his hands, and held it in a position where the blade was behind his arm, and he held the hilt in his hand. "Come on!" Aaron whined. "I want to get started!" "Alright Aaron! Patience." Braeden replied..

With both blades drawn, Braeden took his stance. Soon, he charged towards Aaron, his blade in position. "Heh, Form II Attack 5." Aaron said out loud. "I thought you would try that first." Aaron automatically got his blade into the stance perfect for deflecting the attack. As soon as Braeden landed his hit, Aaron parried his attack.

"Wow. You do know what you're doing!" Braeden complimented his pupil. Braeden continued to try to strike Aaron, but he kept holding his own; parrying and trying to land retaliating strikes. When Braeden aimed for the head, Aaron raised his blade and twirled it away from the vulnerable area. He then tried to aim for the torso, with an almost similar effect. All through the session, Aaron knew the attack form, no matter which type it was. Form I, II, III, IV, or V. He seemed to recognize them all.

The child's obvious strength was analyzing the oncoming attack being able to strategize a nearly-flawless counter-strike. _"A chip off the old block." _Braeden thought to himself.

"Whew. I think that's enough for today young one." Braeden said, realizing that the child's skill with a blade was most unique.

"That was awesome!" Aaron cried. "When can we do it again?

* * *

Braeden and Aaron returned before the other duo did. Lucian and Harva were staring at the crystal ball when the two entered, distraught by what they saw.

"Braeden, you might want to see this." Lucian said gravely.

"What is it?" Braeden questioned.

"Donovan's teaching Xehanort using Form XIII rules on that level." Lucian stated.

"Form XIII?! That means that he can injure Xehanort with or without the cards! There is no protection from injury! Why didn't he stick to Form I, like the rest of us?" Braeden gasped.

Lucian replied "I don't know…but it's disturbing."

* * *

Xehanort:

Xehanort was out of breath, pleading for his life. "Please master! Don't!" He held up his keyblade, a thin black blade with thorns sticking out, and a bat wing as the key, with three points sticking out of the tip in a crown like shape, and hilt also made of thorns, to block Donovan's attack.

Donovan swung his blade at Xehanort's torso, only to meet the chainless keyblade. "Xehanort, if you can not defend yourself now, you will NEVER survive in battle!"

Xehanort used his strength to get and began to run. Pain shot through his whole body. Before he knew it, Donovan had caught him. He was swung his keyblade, a broad black blade with a crown pointing towards the blade, unlike the blades of Lucian and Harva, aiming for Xehanort's legs. He made a direct hit, and Xehanort fell to ground, bleeding from his legs. Xehanort turned on his back, desperately wishing for the pain to end….

Donovan began swinging at his chest again, and Xehanort struggled for his life, feeling the full shock of the strikes when they hit his chainless keyblade. He had been terrified before, but not with facing actual death.

"Don't be afraid Xehanort." Donovan whispered to his pupil.

Donovan began to strike again. Xehanort closed his eyes, sensing the end. He heard a clang and opened his eyes, realizing that he was still alive. He looked up to see a form over him, deflecting Donovan's keyblade with his own. It was Lucian.

"Donovan! This is enough! The boy may die! This is not how we teach future keyblade masters.!" Lucian cried. Donovan slapped him, and an energy blast surged from his hands, sending Lucian hurtling backwards.

"HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE WITH MY TEACHINGS!" Donovan bellowed. His booming voice echoed throughout the arena. "This boy is weak, he is not fit to live unless he is strong! I am trying to teach him that, but he will not learn."

"I-I'm sorry." Xehanort whispered. Lucian walked back towards the fallen boy. "Curaga" he said. A cleansing light appeared of over Xehanort and healed his wounds and cuts. The pain even stopped.

"You and I need to talk…NOW!" Lucian said, pointing his blade to the other keyblade master. Donovan was almost taken aback. He had seen Lucian angry before, but never this outraged. "Fine." He calmly replied. "I know just the place." Donovan upheld his hand, and suddenly a portal appeared. The two keyblade masters stepped through it without another word.

A no longer afflicted Xehanort got up on his feet and stared at the still open portal, not able to look away……

* * *

Back in the control room, Braeden was still monitoring the situation on the 12th level. Donovan and Lucian had just left the temple through a strange portal. But something else was wrong, something else was out of place.

"Wait a minute!" he cried. "Where's Xehanort?!"


	6. Act 1 Chapter 5

Act 1

Chapter 5- Truths

"So why did you bring me here?" Lucian questioned Donovan.

Donovan had transported them both to the roof of one of the lower towers of the castle where most of the keyblade masters resided. The castle was known as the Citadel of Radiance, mainly because of how the castle shined basking in the light, and the numerous radiant gardens that surrounded it. From the roof of the tower, Lucian had a marvelous view of the light, which gently caressed its surroundings with warmth and glow. The roof itself was a medium wide area, which was located directly next to another, higher tower.

"Why do you disagree with my teachings brother?" Donovan shot back.

Lucian was surprised. His brother had been doing some things lately that had been out of character. He had taken on an apprentice to pass his keyblade down to, and treated him with an unbelievable amount of cruelty thus far. And now, Donovan was calling Lucian his brother again. Donovan had refused to acknowledge his blood ties to him, which was understandable since they were always seen as polar opposites. "What could be going through his mind?" Lucian whispered to himself. However, he quickly abandoned that thought. The issue at hand was more pressing.

"You are far too harsh on your apprentice dear brother. Being a tough master is one thing, but to physically injure him during training?! What kind of lesson are you trying to instill in this boy's mind?" Lucian ranted.

"A lesson that all should keyblade masters should know. Either you are powerful, or you are useless." Donovan began. "Such is the way of life. You should know that off all people. You were going nowhere. You could do nothing without me, your big brother, to help. Until, you became quite powerful as a keyblade master. Am I right?"

"No, you are far from it. I got where I am today through hard work. Power has nothing to do with it Donovan." Lucian retorted. "But why him? WHY XEHANORT?!" He practically screamed at his brother. Thoughts began cascading through his mind. _It doesn't make sense. Why be so harsh to a boy he hardly knows? Why did Donny specifically choose HIM?!_ And then, a revelation occurred to him. The resemblance between the two of them. The will to have so much control over his life. He should have realized it earlier.

Lucian looked Donovan in the eye and said "It's because he's your son, isn't it?"

A look of surprise and shock came over Donovan as he turned slightly pale. _How did he figure it out? It was supposed to be kept secret. _To be married and have a child was one thing for keyblader to do. But to have an illegitimate child. Pure scandal. "H-how did you know?" Donovan barely managed to stammer out.

"I should have guessed it from the beginning. Why would you be giving all of your attention and time to him? I just can't figure out two things. One, who is the mother? Two, why did you abandon him?" Lucian questioned.

Donovan sighed. This was a hard topic to think about. He occasionally did care for Xehanort like any father would for his son. But, Donovan also knew that even a perfect world has its dark side. "The woman I so deeply loved, died giving birth to my son. It showed me how cruel the world could be. Though I love my son, I am also angry at him since he was the reason she died. I realized that you had to be strong and powerful to survive in the world. I tried to raise Xehanort, but realized I was not capable of doing so. Also, if the other keyblade masters found out, I would be forever shamed. That's why I abandoned him as a little boy, knowing that he would either have the strength and will to survive, or simply die as a weakling."

Lucian was awestruck. He didn't know what to say. "Brother….."

Donovan quickly regained his composure. He knew that for what he had planned for his son did not involve showing his emotions and compassion. "So, I will teach the boy the way I see fit. And I will NOT tolerate any interference from ANYONE! Not even family. Understood?!"

Lucian sighed, realizing that there was no hope of getting through to him. All he could do was pray Xehanort would come out all this unscathed in the future. "Very well brother, see you back at the temple." On that note, Lucian summoned his own portal and stepped through it. Before Donovan left, he turned towards where the roof met the higher tower and the corner it formed there as a result. He felt a twinge of remorse for a second, but then it fled. A small grin came across his face. He summoned his portal and departed. All was going according to plan.

Meanwhile, hiding around that corner in a slumped, upright fetal position, Xehanort could not stop shedding his tears of sorrow, and pure, unyielding anger.


	7. Act 1 Chapter 6

Act 1

Chapter 6- Haunted

Gideon sat alone in his room alone, thinking of a past he barely could remember.

Most of what he thought was true was told to him by his master. He stared out the nearby window from his bed, remembering the day he had learned it all…..

"_Master?" Gideon said, walking up the man whom he called his mentor. "Gideon, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Lucian. Master is way too formal, for me anyway." Lucian replied. "Sorry, I was just wondering, why do I exist?"_

"_Well, that's a strange question my young friend, why do you ask?" Lucian wondered. "I don't know. It just feels like the others don't see me as much. I mean, I don't even know my own past that much. All I can remember is being raised in the temple."_

"_Well, first of all, you shouldn't worry how others see you Gideon. Unless they are either psychic or have spent a lot of time with you, they are probably making judgments that are completely unfounded. Also, I can understand why you feel uncertain about your past. Believe it or not, you remind me a lot of myself at your age."_

"_Really?" Gideon asked as Lucian raised him to a seat next to him. "Yes." His master replied. "You see, when you were just a baby, your parents gave you up because they knew you would have a better life as a keyblade master. It was exactly the same for me. Maybe that's why I decided to take you as my apprentice. Trust me Gideon. You do have a great power inside of you. Others may not be able to see it, but trust me, it's there."_

Gideon was still staring out the window, but a smile was now coming over his face. He may not have known his real father, but Master Lucian was as good as anything.

He continued to stare out the window as a powerful tremor shook the temple.

* * *

Around the same time that Gideon began staring out the window, deep in his thoughts; Xehanort was walking around the town, undecided of what to do next.

He couldn't believe what he had heard. It may have happened a few weeks ago, but the scene and Donovan's words were still bored fresh in his mind. _The man who treats me so cruelly is my own father. He is the one who abandoned me? What kind of father abandons his own son?_

His thoughts were cut short when heard a noise from nearby. Like the faint sound of a twig snapping. He thought he was hearing things, but he still had one hand on his chainless keyblade.

Suddenly, he saw it, a blur, and then it appeared before him. A hooded figure in a black cloak.

_No! _Xehanort thought to himself. _Not now, not again! _Next thing he knew, a blade was flying towards his torso. He dodged, it barely. He could barely move, his fear rooting him to the ground. Another swing at him knocked him to the ground.

The blade swung for him again. In a panicked state, he raised his keyblade to guard his body. It hit, sending a shockwave through his body. Another strike from the foe sent his keyblade flying from his hand.

Thinking quickly, Xehanort got on his feet and dashed for his keyblade. He heard a whoosh from behind him, and the blade struck him to the ground again. His mysterious opponent would not give up until he was dead. He dodged the blade two more times by rolling around on the ground. His opponent lunged for him again, but Xehanort tried to kick him back with all his might.

His foe stunned from the kick, he got up again and made it to his keyblade. He turned around, just as his opponent struck again, carving a slash through Xehanort's chest. Xehanort fell to the ground, bleeding and panting, his vision getting blurry.

He was having trouble breathing. _God no. Not now, please. I don't want to die._ So many faces began flashing past.

_Know you are powerful. _

_Fight if you want to live! _

_Without power you are weak._

_The world can be cruel._

_You are not meant to live unless you are strong._

_Don't be afraid Xehanort._

_Don't be afraid..._

_It's over. The light can't save me now. _

A strange power suddenly spread through Xehanort's body, sending a tremor through the ground. _What is this power? It isn't light. It's...different. _His body began lifted itself up off the ground, emitting this strange aura. The enormous gash in his chest closed, completely healing itself. His reddish brown eyes began to give off an orange glow. _This...is power_.

Thus, the power of darkness began to flow through Xehanort's entire being. The figure began charging again. _No, no more_, Xehanort thought. He merely raised his hands and searing dark blast shot from them. The figure was thrown onto the ground, his hood cast off.

"You?!" Xehanort screamed. The man who had been attempting to kill him……was his own father. Donovan stood up. "You have to understand Xehanort, this had to be done."

"WHY?!" the boy cried to the heavens, his feet returning to the ground. His eyes filled with tears.

"You don't understand." His father began. "What I said about only the strong surviving is much more true than you think. Something is about to happen. I wanted to you to be strong to continue living." "Why father?! What's about to happen?!" Xehanort continued in tears.

"Come my son, I will show you. You have embraced the light's true power, and you will be one of the worthy to receive such power." Donovan put his hand on the boy's back and lead him away.

But Donovan was mistaken. Xehanort did harness a powerful force that day, but it was not the power of light. Xehanort thought, _This can't be light...it feels too strong to be light._


	8. Act 1 Chapter 7

Act 1

Chapter 7- Armageddon

Lucian awoke to an enormous explosion outside.

Still groggy, he stumbled out of his bed towards the window of his quarters. He removed the virtual blind that shaded his room from the light when he slept. "What on…" he murmured. Apparently, the explosion that woke him up was not the first one of the evening.

Surrounding buildings were engulfed in flames, and unarmed citizens were running around in pure panic. One thing that was definitely out of place was the fact that multiple people were clothed in black gi, with masks covering their faces. Even more disturbing was the fact that all of these masked figures were wielding keyblades! As he took in the scene around him, one major detail caught Lucian's attention.

In the middle of this vast world was the glorious light, which was housed in a domed building of elegantly carved crystal. This structure was built years ago to keep it safe from intruders while permitting it's radiance to shine throughout the land. However, the apparent goal of these masked traitors was to either damage or take control of the light. The Dome of Light was a ghastly sight of shattered glass and fiery blaze.

"Brother….what have you done?" At first, Lucian didn't understand why he said that. It was just a feeling he had. Somehow, he _knew_ that his brother either had a hand in this, or was conducting the massacre himself.

Quickly, he donned his robes and his keyblade. He had to keep it close. Any interference with the light's power would mean interference with a keyblade master's connection to his weapon. If he lost it or if it got separated from himself, he would need to retrieve it personally, instead of summoning it with his heart's connection to the light. _I know I'm forgetting something. _He looked around his room. There he saw it, a fairly small and dense circular metal disc. This disc had several buttons on the sides, and the most of the surface of the disc was blank. He had made this with Harva so, in case anything should happen, his apprentice would have it. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to that.

He rushed outside of his room to see other masters flooding the halls. He joined the crowd, and ran into a friend "Braeden!" he called out. The green haired warrior turned around to let the other catch up. "Braeden, what's the damage report?"

"It's utter chaos. It's been like this for the past hour. I'm surprised you didn't wake up until just now! Not only are these traitors heading for the light to do who knows what to it, but they are also slaughtering all of these unarmed citizens," Braeden was panting out as both were charging down the stairways.

"I hate to say it," the other replied "but I think my brother may be involved in this somehow."

"Well that doesn't come as to much of a shock. Several masters, including myself have been a bit wary of Donovan's ideals of survival of the fittest. We didn't know how far he would go, but were hoping that he wouldn't attempt something like this. This is madness. It's suicide."

"Yeah….it'll be suicide for one side, that's for sure." Lucian muttered to himself with deep concern.

As the group of keyblade masters reached the entrance, Braeden and Lucian got an even closer view of the turmoil. The dead bodies of innocent victims, guardians of the world, and traitors to the keyblade order lied in the field, their spilled blood flooding the terrain.

"I've never seen anything like this." Lucian said in almost awe as he gazed upon the sight. The keybladers that were storming out of the citadel were charging off to battle in whatever style they preferred. Some ran, some glided, and others merely disappeared from either a result of invisibility or teleportation.

"Oh well," Braeden said as he drew his angel wing keyblade with a slight smile on his face, "you only live once!" Finishing his statement, he charged off to battle with the others.

"Heh, that's Braeden for you," Lucian said with smile that began to creep across his face "Always smiling as he heads off to battle. He always calm in the face of combat…. No time like the present!" With those words, silver blade in hand, he leaped high into the air in the middle of the battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, some time before Lucian had had a rather rude awakening….

"Come my son, I will show you. You have embraced the light's true power, and you will be one of the Worthy to receive such power." Donovan said as he ushered Xehanort towards the Dome of Light. At this point, a large group of masked warriors had gathered by the dome. There must have been at least a couple hundred; Xehanort couldn't really tell. The numbers were staggering.

"Master Palpatine!" Donovan called out. "Are we ready to begin?" A hooded figure standing towards the front of the crowd turned around and removed his hood. He was fairly middle aged with graying hair, and a grim, demented smile on his face. But there was one detail the Xehanort never forgot. His eyes. Those fire colored eyes were eyes that you could not look away from, the kind of eyes that pierced you to your very core. Like his father's…..

"Everything has been prepared, Master Donovan. All of the others are at their positions, ready to set off chain reactions. The purge will be ready to begin shortly." Palpatine said with his wicked grin.

"Excellent." Donovan responded, "Hopefully this cleansing will go over swiftly and smoothly. What about the dome?"

"Unfortunately, the ancients who constructed this dome made sure that all intruders were to be kept out. However, with your permission, I would like to take more unorthodox measures."

Donovan promptly answered his ally. "Do it! Once we have control of the light, absolutely no one will be able to stand in our way." Despite the fact that Palpatine was older than Donovan, Donovan was still his superior. Palpatine, like the many others in the army of the Worthy, had been secretly serving Donovan for quite some time. Donovan had always pushed off the plan to siege the Dome of Light time after time, as if he was waiting for something to happen. They could really never figure out what it was.

Various groups of Worthymen took their positions and prepared to attack. Remaining soldiers formed a complete circle around the enormous dome. All the soldiers drew their keyblades and waited for Donovan's cue.

"Tonight is a night that shall be remembered for centuries to come," Donovan began. "Tonight is the night when the Worthy shall be graced by the Light's unyielding power, and the unworthy meet their judgment. Tonight is the beginning of a new era of strength and prosperity for all the Worthy! Tonight is our greatest triumph!"

The Worthy began to cheer then commenced their unyielding attack. Flames burst from their hands and began to incinerate buildings. Others began to call lightning down from the sky to demolish all in its path.

Soon, many unfortunate citizens began running out of their homes to see the cause of this calamity. A cry came out from Donovan, "Gentlemen, time to cleanse this world of the weak!" Worthymen began charging towards the innocents and slaughtered all they could find, be it by blade or magic. Many were set on fire or frozen in their tracks. Others had their bones crushed by an enormous invisible weight. Some were suspended in air, and hacked to bits by multiple keyblades. Screams pierced the night air. Blood covered the fields and tainted almost every body, the carnage unending.

"Now do you see it my son?" Donovan said to Xehanort as they stood near the Dome of Light. "The weak must be exterminated so only the Worthy can embrace the full potential of the Light." Xehanort did not say a word. Donovan went silent afterwards, believing that his son was contemplating on the matter. However, Xehanort only saw this horrific massacre a disgusting form of humanity. _How sickening. They must kill each other in order to gain something so weak. No one like this deserves to live. No one..._

Next to Donovan and his son stood Palpatine, who was giving orders to other soldiers. When he was finished, all the soldiers pointed their blades towards the ground, and the blades began to glow. This glow became brighter and brighter, until the soldiers were glowing too, growing in power. Suddenly, their combined power released in an enormous wave, which dug into the crystal dome. Soon, the dome began to crack and at last, most of it shattered into pieces, creating an enormous blast. The soldiers' bodies had disappeared along with the blast, leaving no trace behind.

Most of the dome was gone now, leaving only certain fragments behind. Donovan turned around and outstretched his arms, hoping to feel the caressing power he had so yearned for. However, his temporary ecstasy was broken by an unnerving sound. He turned around to see that some of his followers had fallen. He immediately knew what it was. "So, they've finally decided to step in, have they?" Donovan said with a deranged grin on his face. _They are too late._

Donovan drew his keyblade. Suddenly, a short red headed male appeared beside him. The foe tried to attack, but Donovan slashed him in two at the torso. A blonde female was right behind him, but met a similar fate. _No one can stop me now._ He thought. _All is going according to plan._

However, a disturbing thought came into his head. He realized there was one detail he had left out. _The armory._ Dispatching with another keyblader, he approached Palpatine. He said in a calm demeanor, "I would hate to see our moment of glory ruined by interlopers. Take some soldiers and secure the armory."

Palpatine responded "Very well, Master Donovan, but what about you?" Before he could answer, Donovan felt a strong presence nearby. He turned his head upwards, only to see that a familiar face had leapt into the air.

A slight grin came across his face. "I have other matters to attend too. I'm leaving securing the armory solely to you." Finishing that sentence, Donovan began to walk away.

"Yes. Right away." Palpatine said as he prepared to gather his force. But, before he knew it, a keyblade master appeared directly in front of him, his keyblade pointed directly at Palpatine's throat. Palpatine recognized this keyblade master, particularly from his strange green hair.

Braeden said with a calm face and a smile "Going somewhere old man?"

* * *

Gideon could not sleep. He had been awake ever since the small tremor. Suddenly, the explosion of the Dome of Light rocked everything in his room. He felt something odd was going on and headed out of his room, unsure of what to do. He saw other Potentials running around, apparently as lost and confused as he was. Everything was in an uproar and panic.

Gideon was starting to become disoriented as he headed toward the entrance hall of the temple, partially from the screaming of other Potentials around, and due to the lack of sleep. _What am I supposed to do? I have no idea what's going on? Why do I feel so weird?_

"MOVE IT WEIRDO!" Alena screeched as she ran into him. Alena collided with Gideon, sending the both of them spiraling to the floor. "What's wrong with you?! Why do you have that stupid look on your face…well, stupider than usual!" The brown haired boy just stared back, not saying a word. "Ah forget it," she said, breaking the silence. "_Well,_ what's going on? Why…is there such a **_panic_**? I can't even thing in this noise."

Losing her temper, she turned around to the crowd, and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Would everybody just SHUT UP!" At that moment, all the other Potentials in the entrance area stopped and gazed at Alena standing atop the stairs. The pink haired girl went on "Thank you, now…," but before she could finish, everyone began screaming again. A disgruntled Alena, with her mouth still agape, said "Ugh. Why do I even bother? What exactly is everyone crying about anyway?"

"Can't you tell?" Alena jumped at this question from Aaron, who had managed to sneak up behind her.

Alena turned around and curtly replied "It's obvious I can't tell you IDIOT! If I knew what it was, I wouldn't be asking!"

Aaron looked at her for a moment, then sighed and went into another one of his speeches. "An explosion happened awhile ago that's creating quite an upheaval in the balance of this world. Something is up, and from the other sounds out there, I'd say it's a war…a big one at that."

It was Gideon's turn to react "A war?! We gotta get everyone to a safe place before it gets here! I don't know about you, but I don't want to get mixed up in unless I have to."

Aaron smiled at Gideon and said "Don't worry! This temple is one of the safest places in the world. It's virtually impenetrable. The only ones who could get in here are keyblade masters!"

At that precise moment, a loud bang came from the entrance. A second bang sounded, and the doors to the temple opened wide, with a dark figure standing in void with a keyblade and bloody and maniacal smile. The figure cackled at the top of his lungs "Knock knock! ANYBODY HOME?! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAA!"

* * *

Lucian landed on his feet in front of his brother, splitting the earth in his land. Right before his eyes, Donovan disappeared. Lucian muttered "Where…where did he…" but was cut short when he felt a blade close around his neck. Donovan, who had teleported behind his sibling stood ready for the kill.

"Aha! Now you see my son?" Donovan shouted "This is how true masters fight!" Xehanort did not say a word. He just continued to gaze at his father and uncle in their wretched struggle. Lucian found Xehanort's stare incredibly unnerving, piercing, as if Xehanort was judging his very soul with the utmost contempt. _My God. What has Donovan done to you? _Lucian thought.

However, he abandoned these thoughts and turned towards his sibling, now his adversary. "True masters?" he began "True masters don't use sneaky and dirty attacks to engage their opponents. Those are the actions of a coward. But, since it's you, I shouldn't have expected anything better!"

Donovan said under his breath "Why you…" At that instant, Lucian jabbed his brother in the stomach. His opponent was thrown back, he grabbed Donovan's arm, and tossed him over his shoulder. _Good, now if I can just get him angry enough, he may lose focus!_

Lucian now stood over his sibling, his keyblade pointed at Donovan's face. "It's over brother. Give up your insane quest for power!" Donovan only smiled and said in his usual calm and calculating demeanor "Heh heh heh. Never." Donovan spun around and landed a kick on Lucian's ankle. Seizing the moment, he leaped up and raised his blade. He cackled "You understand so little." Lucian regained his balance and did the same. The brothers' blades collided with a shattering clang, both standing face to face against each other.

After a long pause locking blades with one another, Lucian finally spoke. "I just have one question. How could you have planned this without other masters knowing of what you were doing? How could raise an army and train them like this?"

Donovan promptly began laughing at his brother. "You never understood the big picture did you? I trained these men in the temple where no one would notice under Form XIII rules! That way we didn't have to rely on those pathetic cards."

Lucian remembered now, back a few weeks before when all four of the masters had begun training with their apprentices. He could even remember Braeden's voice telling them that there was barely any room. _"Hmmmm. That's a shame. It appears that most of the floors are occupied for battle simulations." _The words "battle simulations" echoed endlessly in Lucian's head. _Of course! It's so obvious now. I should have realized such an irregularity then! Why didn't I?_

Donovan, seizing the moment, removed his left hand from his blade and grabbed Lucian's left arm. Locking the arm into place, Donovan swung his blade towards his brother's back. Almost instinctively, Lucian, with his free arm, swung towards his back to block the assault. Then, he precisely latched on to Donovan's keyblade, parrying it out of his hands. Lucian wrestled his right arm free and elbowed his brother in the stomach, sending him hurdling towards the ground. Lucian caught Donovan's keyblade in his right hand and twirled it in his hand before pointing both at his enemy. "It ends here and now."

Donovan glanced around before giving another angry glare at his brother. In an instant he vanished, and reappeared closer to the shattered dome. He extended his hand towards the light. Suddenly, light particles began drawing closer and were absorbed by his hand. He outstretched his right hand towards his brother.

Instantly, Donovan's keyblade reappeared in his right and began to glow. As his eyes grew bright red and evil grin came across his face, he yelled in triumph "This is only the beginning!"

A gigantic beam of light blasted forth from the keyblade and hit Lucian with a gigantic explosion

* * *

Potentials continued to run around the temple away from their pursuer. After entering the temple, he pushed a button on his keyblade, causing the rusty and triangular miniature blades to begin to move around the keyblade like a chainsaw. His clothes and robes were worn and tattered, his blonde hair mattered and messy. His smile was demented with teeth missing, probably from a previous fight. "Come here my little kiddies!" The disheveled man cackled "I'LL MAKE IT ALL STOP!"

Deeper in the temple, Gideon, Alena, and Aaron were traveling in group and maneuvering the halls, trying to avoid their unwanted guest. It was Alena who finally broke the panicked silence. "Okay, so tell me…..how did a PSYCHO like him get a keyblade?!"

Gideon, though probably more panicked than the others, managed to stream out a sentence. "I don't think he's himself. I felt a strange presence near him, like someone else is controlling him."

Alena retorted, "Oh great….that still doesn't help us! Well, how about you braniac? Got any ideas?"

Aaron was thinking as a fast as he could, observing the situation around him. "If we can make it out through the south entrance, we could manage to escape." At that moment another large explosion rang, this one closer to them.

Alena shouted, grasping her ears in pain "What was THAT?!"

Aaron replied in a slightly nervous tone "That…was the southern entrance. Blown up by our visitor no doubt." He could see out a nearby window the entrance they were heading to had collapsed, the doorway blocked.

As if summoned by those very words, the deranged man appeared before them in the hall. "Peek a boo!" he screeched. With a simple "Eep" muttered by one of them, they turned and ran back to the entrance hall. Barely had they reached there when the rogue master managed to gain on them and appeared before them. He raised his blade in malignant glee and brought it crashing down. The three children closed their eyes, awaiting the inevitable.

All three were surprised to hear a large clang and find themselves still alive. They opened their eyes and saw a short gold blade with a white hilt. "Master Harva!" Alena cried, happy to see her own master.

Harva had a kind smile on her face "Good! It seems that I'm just in time!" And with that, Harva parried the blade and with a whack to the man's right hand, the blade fell to the floor. She then elbowed him in the stomach; swipe kicked him to his knees and knocked him on the head with the hilt of her blade. He fell unconscious to the floor.

After a brief silence, Gideon said in a brief state of relief and shock "…Wow."

Harva kneeled over the incapacitated foe and casted an incantation. Within seconds, the mind of the troubled warrior was once again at peace. Harva said, "He's finally back to normal, probably under the control of one of those traitors."

Gideon replied, "Traitors?" A sad look came over Harva's face. "I'm sorry to say, but hundreds of masters have rebelled against the keyblade order to take control of the light. They are being led by Donovan, who is orchestrating the coup de' tat."

"Yeah," Alena butted in "now that you mention it, I haven't seen Xehanort this evening….that must be where he is."

Another, longer, silence past between the four before Harva spoke again. "Now hurry, come on everybody. We must get you to your respected masters at once! Now is not a time for you all to be left alone. We need to get you somewhere safer. Now, get your most precious belongings and chainless keyblades. You never know when you're going to need them."

And with that, all 3 gathered what little valuables they had and their chainless keyblades, and quietly exited the temple.

* * *

The beam was still surging forth from Donovan's blade. He shouted to the air, "You see? This is the true power I have so yearned for! Not even you can stand up to it brother! You see what I have been telling you all along Xehanort? Xehanort?" As Donovan briefly turned around to stare at his son, he realized that Xehanort was no longer standing behind him. He had disappeared. But, Donovan realized the current battle was more important at the moment. He turned his face back to where his brother once stood, gazing at the destruction of his demise.

However, as the dust from the blast began to settle from the explosion, he could see his foe still standing, his blade blocking the blast. Donovan gasped, "You! How is it possible?" As Lucian held his ground, he couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "You never did understand, did you brother? The keyblade and the Light aren't the true source of our strength…ITS OUR HEARTS!" With all his might, he deflected the blade away from his body and sent it hurdling into the ground nearby, causing a large and explosive impact. Donovan only stood, befuddled by his brother's survival.

Lucian continued in his speech. "Our hearts are the most powerful weapon one can have. They are our very core. They give us life and help sustain it. Hearts are what make up everyone in this world, even you. The Light is merely connected to our Heart, as well as the keyblade. They are a part of our hearts, just as our hearts are part of the Light. Light and the keyblade alone do not give you power, it is only your heart."

After a long and tense hush between the two, Donovan burst out into malevolent laughter. His laugh was booming, rushing throughout the area. "A heart? A HEART?! You think that alone can defend you in battle? The heart is merely a tool to achieve one's goals. Nothing more, nothing less." Lucian laughed once under his breath, "Even after all this time, you still won't take advice from me?" He sighed "I guess it can't be helped."

And with that, both disappeared in a fast teleportation. Blade clashes flashed across the field, silver and black contacting with enormous power. Lucian reappeared on the field again, his brother raising the blade high above his head. Lucian dashed to the side and Donovan crashed in to the ground sending out a gigantic shockwave.

As Lucian regained his footing, he was startled to see this brother appear right behind him. Donovan's blade came between Lucian's head and his keyblade. With a mighty swing, Lucian's silver blade went flying across the field. Lucian was knocked to his knees by another blow.

Donovan pointed his keyblade towards his brother's chest and raised it high. In a mighty voice, he proclaimed "What can your heart do for you now?

Lucian closed his eyes as he prepared for the impact of the black blade.

* * *

Braeden had his hands full with Palpatine. Despite the geezer's old age, he was quite powerful. Palpatine's keyblade was blood red, thin, and slender. And apparently, his talent with a blade was second only to Donovan and Braeden himself.

The two had been exchanging blows back and forth between each other for the past hour. The battle seemed unending, though Braeden had yet to break a sweat.

"Come on!" he shouted, "Just give it up! On my honor as a keyblade master, I promise not to injure or kill if you surrender."

Palpatine's strength was slowly beginning to fade. He said while panting, "Never! I will never surrender to the likes of YOU! I am destined to become all-powerful from the light with Master Donovan, while filth like you perish in divine judgment."

Braeden couldn't help but laugh to himself. _Doesn't know when to give up, does he?_ But at that moment, something caught his eye. A silver blade had just hit his feet. He turned to see the scene of horror in his profile vision. Donovan was about to kill Lucian. Braeden cried at the top of his lungs "NOOO!"

* * *

The three children were approaching the battlefield, accompanied by Harva. They were walking from the temple in hopes of finding Lucian and Braeden. They needed to get to a safer place. However, all four were sharing the exact same thought. _I hope Lucian and Braeden are all right._

It was then that they arrived in the area at the center of the world where the Light was located. It was there that they saw a horrible sight. As Donovan brought his blade crashing down, a horrible sound emerged from the blade's connection with the body.

* * *

Lucian closed his eyes as the blade came crashing down, and, with a horrible splat, it connected with the body. But when Lucian opened his eyes, he realized that he was unharmed. However, the green haired warrior who had dashed in front of him to stop the blade was not as lucky.

"Br….Braeden." Lucian stammered out. He couldn't believe it. At the last second, without even thinking, Braeden had teleported in front of Lucian to take the blow. _He knew he wouldn't live. Why did he do it?_

Braeden chuckled lightly as he coughed up blood. "Sorry friend," he was addressing Lucian "I really am. But I had to do it, whether you realize it or not. Gideon, Harva, Alena, and even Aaron need you alive."

"Braeden, why?" Lucian questioned.

Braeden merely laughed again. "I…had a dream years ago. In this dream, I was given a vision of the future. I saw it, and realized that none of it could happen if you weren't alive. That's why, from then on, I vowed to keep you alive. To keep this order alive."

By this point, Braeden had dropped his angel wing keyblade, and his blood was slowly pouring onto it. This time, Braeden addressed Donovan. "By…doing this act, by my death….your downfall has been set into motion. The keyblade order will return, and you WILL be defeated."

Braeden turned to see Harva and the children, their eyes all in tears. But most importantly, he focused on Aaron. "Aaron, I'm sorry you had to see this. I didn't mean for you to watch me die."

Aaron could barely find any words to say. "Ma…ster."

Braeden spoke with a firm tone "Aaron, listen to what I am about to say. No matter how bad this looks, I will always be with you, in your heart. And trust me, though I may be gone for now, I will see you again in the afterlife. I will see you again, I promise."

And with that, Braeden's body faded away into light particles, leaving only his armor behind. Donovan grasped his blade again, wiping the blood from it. A smile came across his face as he said in a particularly cold tone. "Heh, what a fool."

It was then that Aaron lost it. His eyes began to glow a deep green, and he shouted at the stop of his lungs "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Outstretching his hand, Braeden's keyblade lifted off the ground; the blade covered in blood, and flew into Aaron's hand. The heat and fury of Aaron's energy seared the blood to the blade, forming a new weapon. The key portion was still an angel wing, but the blade and half the hilt had transformed into a new blade, a more demonic blade. Aaron shouted again "I will kill you!"

He dashed at Donovan, and their blades collided. Donovan scoffed. "You stupid, foolish boy. Know your place." The blades clashed in the air multiple times before Donovan knocked Aaron to his knees. With a cruel slash, Donovan cut a gash on Aaron's left cheek, the wound bleeding profusely.

"Aaron!" Lucian cried, now having retrieved his blade. He grabbed him and teleported back to Harva. "We need to get them out of here now, before it's too late."

"Where do you think you are going? I'm not finished with you yet!" Donovan taunted his opponents.

Lucian turned away from the wounded to boy to face his brother again. He drew his blade. "This has got to stop Donovan!"

"And it will." A voice cried out. Suddenly, a blade burst through Donovan's chest. With a shocked expression on his face, he stared down at the blade. It was thin, black and covered with thorns. _I know this blade_….

"Xehanort! No!" Harva cried! Xehanort stood behind his father, driving the chainless keyblade deeper into his chest. Donovan fell to his knees. He merely stared at Xehanort with a shocked and almost hurt expression.

Xehanort only whispered "Pathetic being."

With that, Donovan's shocked expression faded away, and he returned to his normal state. With a final breath, he uttered the words "Don't be afraid…Xehanort."

Donovan's lifeless body collapsed to the ground, and in the process dropping his keyblade. Xehanort picked up his father's keyblade, grasping it firmly now that it was his own. A strange energy began flowing from Xehanort's body, warping the structure of the keyblade. He started glowing and slowly floating off the ground. In a booming voice he turned to the others and said "Leave now, or suffer the same fate."

On that note, Lucian and Harva began running away, making sure the three children stayed with him. "Where are we going?" Alena asked.

"We're going to the armory, and we are getting you out of here. We'll get one of the Gliders. It's going to be alright," Harva replied.

But somehow, all three of the children knew that everything was not going to be alright.

Soon they had reached the armory, but the rising smoke and gaping holes in the walls made them realize that company was already here. They burst through the lower entrance, only to see that the thousands of keyblades had fallen from their respected shelves to the ground.

The armory was slowly beginning to collapse, probably from the strain of battle. The group of five slowly began marching up towards the top, towards the Glider hangar when they were ambushed by several Worthymen. Harva and Lucian fended them off one by one, separating them from their blades and knocking them unconscious.

Meanwhile, back at the shattered dome, Xehanort continued to glow. He began to rise higher and higher off the ground; the sheer energy of his presence was lifting not only himself but other corpses around him. He raised his chainless keyblade, still bloody from his father's murder, and his new keyblade. He thought to himself, _If this light is so powerful to kill over, it must be strong enough to withstand an attack._ His keyblade began to glow with a dark and powerful energy, and the ground began to shatter around him.

Within a deafening screech, a blast of energy burst fort from the keyblade directly in to the Light. At first, there was nothing but an eerie silence, but then, a crackling sound began erupting. The Light soon blasted forth several waves of energy. A grim smile came across a still floating Xehanort's face. _I knew it…weak, like all of these wretched excuses for life._

At the armory, the group had reached the upper levels; they only had to pass one crossing before reaching the Chaser work floor. The crossing was a small pathway about the giant chainless keyblade vault. They were rushing along, praying that they wouldn't fall. At that moment, a giant tremor shook the armory, causing Lucian, Harva, and Aaron to drop their keyblades into the vault below. They extended their hands to reclaim them, but nothing happened.

"It must be the Light!...Xehanort!" Gideon cried out.

"There's no time! We have to hurry!" Lucian responded. They made to the end of the walkway and traversed the stairs. They had made it to the Chaser floor, but what they saw filled them with horror. The Chasers, all of them, had been slaughtered. There were no survivors, or at least, that is how it appeared. In the corner, they found a distraught and panicked Ienzo, shivering in the cold loneliness. He was in such a state of shock that he couldn't even speak, though he tried to mouth something.

"Sssh." Harva said, comforting the boy, "Don't worry, we'll help you out. Come, we need to get to the hangar." After traveling up a final flight of stairs, they had reached the hangar. Two Gliders were always kept in the armory, should an emergency need to use them ever arise. However, apparently, they were not the first ones there. Palpatine, obviously realizing the dangers of the growing battle, was deciding to use one of the Gliders for his own purposes. He opened a door in the glass cockpit to bide a sarcastic and grim goodbye to his former comrades. He waved his bony fingers towards the group of now six, unaware that his keyblade was sliding out from underneath him. Before he knew it, the Glider was lifting off, with his keyblade crashing to the ground below. He struggled in vain to reclaim it, but was forced to take off.

With only one Glider left, Lucian and Harva ushered the three apprentices into the vehicle. Unfortunately, there was no room left. Lucian turned to look at Ienzo and said "Don't worry, we'll find another way for you to get out." Lucian entered in a sequence of controls into the panel, and the Glider buzzed to life. "Here," Lucian said to Gideon, "take this with you. It will provide guidance for you when you need it. You will restore the keyblade order and balance to the universe. All of you. I know you can." Lucian gave Gideon the dense metal disc he had been carrying around all evening.

He placed it in a circular groove that perfectly fit its size on the top middle portion of the control panel. The disc whirred to life and began working with the ship's computer, as if almost guiding it. The Glider began to lift off the ground. Harva said a final goodbye to the children "I'll miss you Gideon, Alena, and Aaron. Be sure that you are nice to each other and take care of one another. Understand?!"

And with that, the Glider climbed higher and higher, as Lucian and Harva were waving goodbye to their apprentices. Inside the Glider, a special gas was spreading through the cockpit, sending the passengers into hibernation mode. And the three keyblade Potentials fell asleep close together amongst their chainless keyblades and possessions.

Just as the three had fallen into deep sleep in the Glider, the Light let out its final blast, before shattering into pieces. Lucian and Harva had just reached the Citadel of Radiance with Ienzo, before the final cataclysm. The world itself soon followed, breaking up into fragments upon fragments, forming worlds of their own.

As the World of Light was born hundreds of years ago into the universe, so it now fell apart because of the aspirations of a madman and the plans for his now dark son.

The die has been cast. The stage is set. So begins this tale of tragedy and undying hope. The worlds that were born in Light fade into Darkness, only to see that very radiant Light at the end of the journey. A journey of warriors. A journey of friends. A journey of three.

END OF ACT I


End file.
